Continuous flashing smiley on clearblue tests

[smarty14]

Hi

I know this has been written about before but for the life of me i cannot find it!

Since last monday i have had a flashing smiley on the clearblue advanced ovulation tests.

We are have had our initial appt in march for infertility and the doc said from what i told her that I didn't ovulate so decided i should try and do tests to see.

I am going to keep testing until i run out of sticks or the flashing stops

Who else has this happened too?
Does anyone eventually get a static smiley?

Had a couple of days where i felt like i was ovulating so did a test in the evenings but still flashing at me!
A flashing doesn't mean ovulation does it!?
We have dtd every other night since i got the first flashing smiley

Help 😩 x

[physicskate]

Please read the instructions. Pretty sure these tests must be used in the morning? Btw, I never used this specific brand... but just from reading on here.

Also, some people only work with certain brands of tests.

You don't have pcos, do you? Why does she think you don't ovulate? What tests have they done?

[miracleon13th]

You can test at any time of the day once you see the flashing smiley actually

Clearblue says to stop testing once you have 10 days of flashing smileys so you've got a couple more days to go before I would
Give up

What cycle day did you start testing and when do you think you normally ovulate?

Most women actually find their surge starts in the afternoon (which is why in the cheap strip OPKs they say to test in the afternoons not morning) - I usually start testing twice a day once I get a couple of days of flashing smileys depending on what other symptoms I'm having x

[physicskate]

I stand corrected. But it still sounds like you haven't read the instructions (so apologies if you have). They're expensive to use if you don't quite know the ins and outs of using them!

[smarty14]

I have of course read the instructions.

Cd was 29 when i got the first flashing smiley. I have long cycles and can be unpredictable. Started using them as i wanted to see if the doc was right (she said it without any test results; about not ovulating)

Tempted to carry on until sticks run out 🙈

Wondered if anyone had got flashing smileys for a while then ever got a static. I know everyone is different but its nice to hear that people do get a static eventually

Thanks x

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

I would advise you to stop using them now.

They are a really waste of time if the menstrual cycle is irregular and you need blood tests to see what your hormone levels are like. That would give you a far more accurate picture than these things. As your cycles are irregular these tests can be done according to calendar days (you need a day 2 test initially to compare your LH level against that of your FSH level). You could also do with having an internal ultrasound scan done to see if your ovaries are indeed polycystic.

What these kits read is LH; if you are one of many women who is producing excess levels of LH (this often happens in women who have polycystic ovaries) the kit reads that excessive level and thus gives you a false positive result. Hence the continual flashing smileys. Please throw the rest of them in the bin.

[smarty14]

Thanks that is good to know

I have had bloods done and an internal scan; waiting to have a dye test scan done.

Doc ruled out pcos as i have none of the attributes that go with it, she thinks maybe endometriosis.

X

[RyvitaBrevis]

If your cycles are irregular, I suppose it's hard to know if you started testing on the right day. The instructions say after 9 days of a flashing smiley ("high"=estradiol/oestrogen) you're unlikely to see the "peak" result (=LH surge).

If you don't see the "peak" static smiley and you only see the flashing smiley, as far as the test is concerned, either you haven't ovulated, or you ovulated but the test failed to detect it.

If it sadly turns out you do have endometriosis (which let's hope you don't!), this may mean it's impossible to tell if you're ovulating going on ovarian pain. I have endo and get ovarian pain at all sorts of times in the cycle (sad trombone).

It is possible to have polycystic ovaries without having PCOS, and also possible to have PCOS and not have the usual physical characteristics. But the internal scan should have answered the question.

Hopefully you will get some answers soon! xx

[smarty14]

Thank you.
All i want is a diagnosis and be able to move on so i know how to go forward

Xx